The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1887-10-29
COMMERCIAL TOURIST
Gives His Impressions Of Birmingham
and New Orleans,
THE MOST NOTED CITIES INDIxIE.

THE MOST NOTED CITIES NDIXIE.
The Enterprise Of One and the Peculiar.
tiles Of the others.
Our Correspondent Meets His Own
Jemima.
Special Correspondence Of the Nnw DOMINION.
Waco, TEXAS, Oct. 22.-Birming-
ham, Alabama. may truthfully be
called the Pittsburg of the South.
Situated as it is in the centre of a
coal field and surrounded by hills
and mountains containing iron ore
and limestone of the finest qualities
its facilities for manufacturing iron
are unparalleled. Birmingham has
a population of about $4,000 and is
growing more rapidly than any other
city in the South. Large business
blocks are being erected on almost
every street, while mills and facto-
ries are occupying the suburbs. A
fine hotel is almost ready to be
opened and they have just let the
contract for new court house to
cost nearly 100000. A new passen-
ger railway has lately been built to
extend from the business portion of
the city away out in the forest on
the hillsides, where beautiful homes
are being built right in the shade of
the pines.
Lake View Hotel is quite sum-
mer resort for many southern people
and is situated on this railway out
in the forest overlooking a miniature
lake, on which the visitors go boat
ing. The city is always full of
strangers and the crowded streets
remind one more of western min
ing town than anything else. Birm-
ingham in short is booming right
along and is being filed up with a
set of energetic, far-seeing people,
and my prediction is that it is des
tined to become one of the most i'm
portant manufacturing cities in the
country.
My business being finished in the
iron city, stepped on board the l..
& W. train and started for Mont
gomery, Ala. The scenery on the
way is varied, being composed of
little villages, cotton fields, beauti-
full forests and sparkling streams.
In due time we arrived at Montgom-
cry, rather late in the evening, but
in time for supper at the Windsor
Hotel.
Montgomery is a pretty little city
with population Of perhaps $4,000.
1t is situated on the left bank of the
Alabama river and is as most people
know the capital of the State. The
city is well supplied with mills and
factories of various kinds and is sur
rounded by the finest cotton belt in
the Southern States The street
cars in this city are different from
any / have ever seen, inasmuch as
the moter power is electricity ap-
piled in the following manner: Ar
electric wire is stretched along the
street just over the center of the cal
track at about the height of tele
phone or telegraph wire and is sup
ported and held from vibrating by
guy wires. Each car is provided
with an upright shaft with whee
at the end which runs along the un
der side of the wire and receives thu
electricity. BY means of the shat
which is attached to the front enc
of the car the electricity is conveyed
to the machinery Of the car and it il
sent spinning along at rapid rate
This overhead wire with its man,
guys spoils the looks of a street ant
is decidedly dangerous for the rea
son it cannot be insulated. A fey
weeks ago, was told, as man wa
driving down the street one of thes
electric wires broke and fell on hi
horse killing it instantly.
While / was in Montgomery tn
beautiful steamer alabama" lief
the wharf and started down the rive
with a large cargo Of cotton and
number of passengers. She ha'
scarcely Strengthened herself ant
got fairly under way when the alarm
of fire was given. In some manne
fire broke out in the cotton ant
about fifty bales had to be throw
overheard before the fire could b
extinguished. She then sent a res
cuing party after the cotton and re
turned to the wharf to have he
losses adjusted and land her fright
ened passengers.
Two independent steamers, as wei
as the line belonging to the Mont
gomery Trade Co., ply back an
forth on the Alabama from Mobil
to Montgomery, and run in connec
ton with the New York and Liver
pool steamers which enables ther
to issue through bills of lading t
and from these points, thereby il
surfing them lower rate of freigh
than they could get otherwise.
We are through in Montgomer
and again we board the L. 4 N. fc
Mobile, Alabama. "All aboard "
hear and our train goes speedin
> away through country Of cotto
fields until we reach the pine forest
which stretch away to the horizo
Pine pitch factories are to be see
in many places and long rows ,
: barrels for shipping it away. E
and by Pensacola Junction is reacl
ed and the brakeman comes throug
! the car shouting pensacola Jun
! ton! All passengers for Pensacol
: Jacksonville and all points in Flol
da, change carsr did not happ'
to be one of these passengers, so '
continued our journey on throue
! forests of pine and cypress, crossil
rivers, small streams and bays uni
!, we reached Mobile.
In Mobile ! stopped at the Bait
House which is run on the Europe,
plan in summer and American
winter. Mobile is an old solid tov
with narrow streets and very lit
beauty. 1t has population
: about 10000 and is situated on M
bile bay. Oysters and fish are
be had in any quantity and sty